Tenshi no Tsubasa
by zoey04
Summary: "They say that in the mountains lives a monster. And they say, also, that the monster has beautiful wings, as white as snow." Heero is killed on a Preventers assignment. Or is he? name translated means 'angel's wings'. yaoi. Duo POV. please r&r.
1. Chapter 1

**So I wrote this one pretty fast. I got the idea for it when I read the qute below. It was intentionally supposed to be just a short little story, but it turned out to be 9 chapters and almost 19000 words. So yeah, it's pretty long XD Well enjoy!**

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"They say that in the mountains lives a monster. And they say, also, that the monster has beautiful wings, as white as snow." - Love Wars by Junk

Chapter 1

My alarm clock going off at six in the morning woke me from my horrible nightmare. And, as I did every morning for the past year, I rolled over to discover that the nightmare was real, that Heero really did die. I held back the sob as I pulled his pillow into my face. Even though it had been over a year since the accident, it still held his scent as if he had been sleeping on it just a minute ago.

One year and two months ago, Heero and I had been out on a simple Preventers assignment. We were to check out a warehouse thought to be used as a place to make and sell drugs. I had been in the car on the phone with the judge for a search warrant, and Heero hadn't decided to wait. The building had been rigged and Heero had set off the trip wire. I took shrapnel to my left shoulder blade and left leg. I have a permanent limp and can't raise my left arm higher than my shoulder, but Heero… Heero was air lifted to the hospital suffering from severe burns and severe shrapnel damage. He died before he reached the hospital.

Heero's scent calmed me down, but I still needed to see him. I jumped out of bed, pulled on my jeans and a t-shirt, then limped down the stairs while pulling on my boots. Once out in the back yard, I searched out in the pasture for Heero. The beautiful stallion nickered and trotted up to the fence to greet me.

I had never really been into horses before the accident, but after Heero died, I was so lonely and depressed. I wanted a companion, hoping it would alleviate the depression and also take my mind off of Heero somewhat. I was originally thinking I'd adopt a dog or a cat, but when I saw this horse, I had to have him. He was Heero in a horse's body. Thick chocolate brown fur, dark brown mane, sparkling cobalt blue eyes, and an air about him that was so formal and perfect. And also, I had found him tied to a pole, starved, beaten, and needing my help. I couldn't just leave him. So it was a win for both of us. I got a companion and Heero got a good, caring, home.

I patted the young horse's muzzle, then headed over to the small shed to grab him a flake of hay. As he munched happily on the alfalfa, I absentmindedly played with his thick mane.

"What do you say we go up into the mountains for the long weekend bud? We haven't been up there for a while," I asked him.

He snorted and continued to eat the hay.

"I'll take that as a yes," I decided, patting his neck, then heading into the garage to find my camping gear.

After I got the truck loaded with Heero's riding gear, food for both of us for three days, and other camping equipment, I hooked up the trailer and drove it around to the pasture gate. I put the rest of Heero's hay into a net and hung it where he could still eat it in the trailer, then loaded him in.

On my way out to the gate, I spot the rose bushes with their first flowers. I jump out of the truck and pick one, deciding to make a stop on our way up to the mountains. With the rose on the seat next to me, I pull out onto the street, then out onto the highway towards the mountains.

After only about five minutes, we reach the small cemetery on the edge of town. I parked the truck out on the street because of the horse trailer, then grab the flower and limped out to the back of the cemetery. I find Heero's spot and gently place the rose at the base of the headstone. I kiss my fingers and lightly touch them to the top of the marble.

"Love you," I whisper to him, then turn to leave, choking back the tears.

Back at the truck, I make sure Heero is alright in the trailer, then climb in the cab and pulled back out onto the highway.

Up in the mountains, Heero and I had a little cabin out in the middle of nowhere. We spent every weekend and every day off up there. After he died, I didn't break the tradition, but I found it hard to be up there without him. After I bought the horse, I took him with me and found that he made it easier to be in the small cabin without Heero. Now, the horse and I went up there every weekend.

It was a long drive and when I stopped for gas at the last station we'd see, I climbed up onto the side of the trailer and peeked in to make sure Heero was okay. He was still munching on his hay, completely cool and relaxed. We only had another half an hour to go, so he'd probably still be eating when we got there.

There was still a little bit of snow in the mountains even though it was late May, but it wasn't much, just little patches here and there. I was glad I had remembered to bring Heero's blanket, because he had just finished shedding out his warm winter coat.

I pulled into the clear space in front of the cabin and backed the trailer up to the panels I always kept up. I found it was a pain in the rear and very time consuming to put up and take down the horse panels every time we were up here, so I just left them up now. And I didn't bother to put in a gate. I just backed the trailer up to the opening in the panels and left it there. It made it easy to unload and load Heero, and also gave him a shelter from the cold at night.

I hopped out of the truck, then reached through the window to untie the horse before I opened the door and let him out into the small catch pin. He immediately nosed around the dirt and pine needles for grass and other things he could eat.

"How could you still be hungry?" I laughed at him, climbing over the panel so I could take his lead rope off.

I always kept his halter on in case of emergencies, like if a bear or mountain lion showed up wanting horse for dinner. He didn't care and continued to brush around the needles looking for something to eat.

I made sure the panels were secured, then started to unload the truck, climbing the stairs up to the door of the cabin. Once in the cabin, the first thing I did was move around the entire house, turning up all of the pictures of me and Heero. I turned them down before I left every weekend so that they wouldn't get dusty.

The cabin was very small. Just one bed up the ladder in the loft, a small kitchen, the living room, family room, and dining room all squished into one room, and an outhouse just behind the cabin. There was a large fireplace in the front room and a couch seated just opposite it. Other furnishings included one other chair, a small table with two benches on either side, a bookshelf in the far corner, and a desk that hadn't been touched since Heero had died. All his duplicate files and unfinished mission reports were still on the desk, untouched since the accident. He was always working, even on our vacation to the mountains. At one point, he stopped lugging his laptop up here every weekend and just bought another to keep up here. That too was still sitting on the desk, covered in a years worth of dust.

I finished putting the food away and chucked my small duffle bag up into the loft, then climbed up the ladder after it. Climbing the ladder had become difficult now that I had limited mobility in my shoulder, but eventually, it became easier. The only thing up in the small loft was a queen size bed against the back wall. My sleeping bag and pillow that I always kept here were in the corner with a plastic cover over them to keep off the dust and bugs. I pulled off the cover and made the bed. Then, I pulled on my riding boots and thick windbreaker before heading back outside.

"You need to stretch your legs after being in that trailer for three hours," I told Heero as I pulled his grooming bucket out of the bed of the truck.

Taking him out of the pin and tying him to the side of the trailer, I ran a brush over his coat and picked out his hooves before slinging the saddle onto his back. He held his breath as I tightened the cinch and opened his mouth for the bit. I strapped on my spurs, then untied him and mounted.

Heero was a lazy horse when it came to roaming around his pasture, but once you put the saddle on, he's a ball of energy and ready to go. Ready for a mission, I can't help but think. At his first command, he took off like a bullet from a gun, galloping full speed through the spacious trees.

I gave him his head and let him run. He'd tire himself out in a minute and then we could go on our relaxing ride. I leaned forward and stood in the saddle as he reached a fallen tree and launched himself over it. I expected that now. The first time I rode him out here, I wasn't expecting him to actually jump it and I had ended up on my butt in the snow. Another similarity the horse had to Heero was that he always did things one hundred and fifty percent. He jumped a two and a half foot log like it was a four foot fence.

After a good five minutes of full speed galloping, the horse started to slow. I eased him back into a trot, then a walk. We were both breathing heavily from the high altitude and cold air. That was the only thing that had made the horse stop this soon. Back at home in our hundred acre pasture, he'd run and run and run until you made him stop. He had high endurance, just like Heero had.

Finally, the tree line ended and we were now in a huge meadow. Way off to the left, I could see where the tree line curved around and continued a ways off in front of us. To the right, the meadow continued farther than I could see. A steam trickled out of the trees somewhere at the left end of the meadow and gradually grew into a river as it ran through the middle of the meadow.

Heero continued straight and once we eventually reached the stream, I gave him his head and he lowered his head to take a drink of the ice cold water. Once he was done, I turned him towards the far end of the meadow and he took off at a canter through the knee length grass. This was always where the horse loved to ride. No matter how tired he was, he could always find the energy to take a run through the meadow. Back when Heero was alive, we would come out here when there wasn't snow on the ground and would have a picnic, or just lay in the grass and read, or watch the sun rise together. Now that he wasn't here with us, the huge meadow seemed even bigger and… empty. Even with the horse as company, it just doesn't seem complete.

Suddenly, Heero's head shot up, ears pricked, and he slid to a stop. I wasn't prepared for a sudden stop and I flew forward into Heero's upright neck, the saddle horn slamming into my stomach. I sat back in the saddle, rubbing my stomach and looked around.

"What is it, bud? What do you hear?" I whispered to him, petting his neck to try and calm him down.

His head stayed raised and his ears were unmoving, pointing into the trees. I struggled to slow my heart rate and relax into the saddle, knowing that horses could pick up and sense when you are nervous or afraid.

Following the stream, we had become close to the tree line again. The horse had obviously picked up something in the trees, most likely a predator. I didn't know what to make of his reaction. Usually, he just took notice of the threat, then continued on. Sometimes he'd change direction and run the other way, but he never did anything like this. It was almost like he didn't know what was in the trees, like he was confused.

There was a low hiss that echoed in the trees. If I heard it, I knew Heero had and that was confirmed when the horse rolled back onto his haunches and his front feet shot up in the air. I threw my weight forward as he reared, then landed with a thud back on the ground. He was prancing and snorting, waiting for my signal to let him run away. I kept him there though, wanting to know what it was that was scaring him.

The hiss turned into a snarl, then there was a flash of snow white wings just inside the shadows of the trees and whatever it was took off deeper into the forest. That wasn't an ordinary bird, I realized. Those wings had to have a near twelve foot wingspan. That meant the owner of those wings had to be five to six feet tall. I gave Heero the signal to leave and he obliged quickly, spinning around and taking off full speed in the direction we had come from.

Once we had reached the worn path in the trees we always took, Heero skidded to a stop.

"Come on boy, we have to get back to the cabin," I urged him, giving him a spur in the side.

He tossed his head up and scrambled backwards. I made him back up more. If he wanted to back up, then we were going to back up. I urged him forward again and he reared up.

"Dammit Heero!" I yelled at him, taking the end of my rein and smacking him in the rear with it.

The horse's head shot up and he pitched forward, taking off into the trees. But he wasn't going to go much farther than that. He skidded to a halt, throwing me into the saddle horn again.

"I thought you weren't afraid of anything, Heero," I whispered to him, leaning forward and resting my forehead in his thick mane and petting his neck. "You were the bravest man I knew, and you went into any situation head first. Even that building you knew was crawling with druggies heavily armed and paranoid. I won't let anyone hurt you, Heero. I already lost you once, and I won't let it happen again. Why can't you trust me like the man you're named after did?"

The horse suddenly started to walk forward. I sat up quickly, taking up his reins. I smiled at him and brushed away the tears with the back of my hand. I pushed him into a gallop, eager to get him out of the forest and out of danger, because I don't know what I'd do if I lost Heero again.

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**So? Good so far? Should I continue posting? Please review to tell me :)**

**So other than this, I'm working on a sequel to **Target** and a few little drabbles. Though, it is the summer and I have lots of free time, so expect a lot from me XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**So it's really a good story? I got quiet a few reviews asking me to post the next chapter. Well, here it is! I also got lots of comments about the horse XD I personally love horses and have wanted to put a horse in one of my fics, and this seemed like the perfect one XD Well, I'll stop blabbering now and let you guys read ;) Thanks for all the reviews and enjoy!**

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Chapter 2

I slung the saddle into the back of the truck and gave Heero a quick brush down before I let him back into the pin. He stayed by the fence and lifted his head over the panels so that I could pet his nose.

"I'm sorry I hit you, buddy. I guess… I guess I just wasn't expecting you to be afraid of anything. I keep forgetting that you're just a horse and not…"

The horse exhaled, easing into my touch. Apology accepted. I leaned forward and kissed him on the nose.

"I miss you Heero," I whispered into his muzzle.

I grabbed the horse blanket out of the truck and climbed through the bars to put it on him. After hooking the straps, I fed him some grain to help warm him up, then headed back up the stairs and into the cabin. I walked up to the fireplace and started a fire before plopping down into the couch. I found myself staring at the picture of Heero up on the mantel and I stood and picked it up.

"I think the incident in the forest took something from me, Heero," I told him, easing back into the couch with the picture. "I had completely deluded myself into thinking that the horse was you. I guess when he didn't face the situation the way you would've and acted like a horse… I don't know. I'm not disappointed in him, because he acted exactly the way he should've. It was just a reality check I guess…"

I exhaled sharply and pulled the small bottle of anti-depressants out of my pocket. After setting Heero's picture back on the mantel, I dry swallowed two of the pills, then went into the kitchen to get something to eat.

There was a clash that sounded like metal horseshoes on the metal panels. That thought was confirmed by the following cry of the horse. I hurriedly limped out into the front room and grabbed my unregistered shotgun from the rack near the door. I loaded the shotgun as I ran out the door and down the stairs.

The horse was neighing loudly, kicking at the panels and running in circles. It must've been a bear or mountain lion or something. I couldn't see it though, so I just fired a warning shot up into the trees. Huge white wings flashed, and disappeared into the trees. It was the thing from earlier and it had followed us back to the cabin.

I hurried over to Heero and grabbed his muzzle, forcing him to calm down and look at me. I slowly reached up and brushed his messy, chocolate brown forelock out from over his eyes. He was panting heavily and his eyes were wide. The horse never reacted this bad to anything. Whatever that thing was, it must've been really bad for the horse to act this way. I patted his neck and whispered soothing words to him. The horse calmed down immediately, relaxing into my touch.

I led him into the trailer and closed the door behind him. Whatever that thing was, he wouldn't be able to get at the horse if he was in here. The horse wasn't going to like being in there, but it was better than being out with that monster and I think he knew it.

Once Heero was calmed down, I headed back into the cabin and opened the curtains so I could see out into the front yard. I hung the unregistered shotgun back on the wall and sat back down on the couch, keeping my eyes on the trailer.

I had attempted suicide once after Heero's death, but was stopped before I could pull the trigger. After that, Une pulled my license to own a gun and took all my weapons. I was only allowed to have my Preventers issue pistol when I was with another agent. I kept this shotgun unregistered so they wouldn't take it away, because you needed a gun when you were out in the mountains alone.

I hadn't attempted suicide again after that because, after my therapist put me on anti-depressants and my head cleared of the pain somewhat, I realized that Heero wouldn't have wanted me to kill myself. He would've wanted me to live my life, possibly find someone else to take his place. But that wasn't going to happen. No one could ever replace Heero. The closest I had gotten to finding someone else was my horse. But he was more of a companion then a replacement. And, he was a reminder of my life before the accident.

I found myself thinking about that creature. Both times I had seen it, I had just seen its wings, not its body. Its wings were feathery, birdlike, and as white as white could get. I hadn't seen anything like it ever before. Then I remembered…

I stood up quickly and limped over into the kitchen and began to rifle through one of the drawers. I pulled out the news papers that I often bought at the ranger station on my way in. Spreading them out across the table in the front room, I sorted them by date. They went all the way back to two years ago. I had at least one paper from each month and, starting with the paper after Heero's death, which was on the front page, there were small articles off to the side of the main one talking of sightings of a strange creature. It wasn't certain on the details, just that it had large snow white wings. In the next paper was a bigger article with a better description and a picture. The picture was a bad picture, just like the picture of Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster. It was just the wings in the shadows of the trees. The description was just of a creature with a twelve foot wingspan, bird like wings, and the body of a man. That had me frowning. Body of a man? With wings of a bird? I looked through the newspapers and saw that more and more people are sighting it all over the mountain range.

Sighing, I turned over all the papers that had 'Ex-Gundam Pilot, Heero Yuy, Dies in Meth Lab Explosion' splayed across the front page. Stacking the papers up, I shoved them back into the drawer. I wanted to see that thing again. For some reason, I really wanted to know what it was. I would walk out to where we had seen him, but walking wasn't as easy as it had been over a year ago. I'd have to take Heero, but I wasn't sure he'd be too fond of the idea. Oh well. He was a brave horse. Most of the time.

I headed out to the front room and grabbed my camera out of my bag, then headed out the door. Heero stuck his nose out of the window, sensing my presence.

"I know you aren't going to like this buddy, but we're going to go find that thing," I told him.

I let him out of the trailer and tacked him up, slipping the camera into one of the small saddle bags. When I mounted, he seemed reluctant and didn't take off like he always did.

"Come on, bud, trust me," I begged him, giving him a spur.

He pitched, then took off in a slow canter through the trees. He was completely tensed and his ears were up and listening as he ran through the trees. Once out in the open of the meadow, he relaxed a little, able to see all around him now, but he was still tense. We continued at a faster pace following the small creek. The horse kept moving to cross it to the other side, but I kept him straight. The river led us closer to the tree line and with every stride, the horse tensed and slowed. When we finally reached the place where the creature had hissed, I pulled the horse to a stop. He wasn't happy. He was prancing, pawing the ground, tossing his head, and whinnying. I gave him a pat on the neck and whispered soothing words.

I pulled out my camera and we waited for the creature to appear. I held the camera ready, but after about two hours, the batteries were about to run out and I was starting to give up. I put the camera away, and that was when the creature showed up. Before I could get the camera back out, Heero tossed his head and reared up. I wasn't ready for that and went tumbling back out of the saddle. I landed with a thud on my back and watched as the horse took off in the direction we had come from.

"Shit!" I cursed, knowing even a horse like him would never make it alone in these woods. He was a smart horse and I just prayed he could figure out his way home.

My shoulder stung as I rolled over onto my stomach in the knee length grass and tried to catch the breath that was forced out of me. There was rustling around in the trees and I froze, my breath caught in my throat. I listened for the familiar sounds of horse breath and hoof beats, but all I heard was rustling of leaves and what sounded like the faint sound of claws on tree bark. There were definitely footsteps cautiously approaching me and I stayed as still as I could. The thing got close enough for me to hear its ragged breathing. I couldn't help myself. I looked up.

Through the grass, I saw the top joints of snow white wings. But that was all I could see. The creature had stopped moving, no doubt spotting my dark clothing through the light grass. Its breathing sounded like he had sandpaper in his throat and was breathing through a straw. It was almost like he was panting, like he had just been running a long ways without water. It was a unique sound and I doubted I'd ever forget it. But I wanted to put a species to that breathing. Slowly, not wanting to startle the creature into a violent reaction, I pushed my body up from the ground and turned so I was in a sitting position. Then, I looked over to the creature.

What caught my attention and turned my blood to ice, was a very familiar tangle of chocolate brown hair falling over beautiful cobalt eyes. His face was a face permanently engrained in my brain and one that I could never forget. It was a very serious face, lips pressed together in a firm line. And, I'm sure if the creature could talk, his voice would be monotonous and uncaring.

The only difference this beautiful creature had compared to Heero Yuy, was a set of beautiful snow white wings folded gracefully on his back.

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**Yaaay XD What do you think is going to happen now? Cause this is where what I thought was going to happen changed and ended up being a hugely long story XD Please review and tell me what you think! I'll post the next chapter tomorrow, given my internet stays up...**

**The only other thing I'm really working on right now is a sequel to **Target**. I was having a bit of writers block and lack of inspiration for that fic, but know it's really starting to pick up, so hopefully I'll post that soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So this is where it started straying from my original ideas... but it turned out really good and I like it, so hopefully you guys will too ;) Thanks for the reviews! Please enjoy.**

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Chapter 3

"H-Heero?" I asked, my voice shaky as tears stung in my eyes.

His lips that had been pressed into a firm line lifted into a snarl, revealing razor sharp teeth. He crouched, hissing at me, then turned and ran into the trees, his wings carrying him up to the top.

I just sat staring at the spot where he had disappeared. It couldn't be, my logical mind told me. That wasn't Heero. It _was_ Heero, my heart told me. No. I had seen the explosion, I had said goodbye to him in the morgue, I had buried his body, I had visited him in the cemetery more times then I could count, I had woken up every morning alone for the past year and a few months… I couldn't go through that denial, that depression, that pain again. Heero was gone. That creature just had a strong resemblance. Close enough of a resemblance that it could be Heero's twin brother with wings? My heart told me there was something more going on here besides just coincidence.

I wanted to see him again. I wanted to touch him, wanted to see if he was real or just a figment of my depressed imagination. I looked up into the trees, but couldn't find a single trace of him. I stood and started to walk towards the trees. Something on the ground caught my attention and I bent down to pick it up. It was a feather. A snow white feather as long as my forearm. I brought it up closer to my face so I could look at it and its scent hit me like a ton of bricks. It was the exact scent I smelled every morning after burying my face in Heero's pillow, just ten times stronger. That wasn't coincidence either…

The sun was starting to set and I needed to get back to the cabin before it got too dark out. I couldn't just cut through the trees here, because I'd definitely get lost. I needed to walk down the stream and then straight through the trees on the worn path the horse and I take. This was going to take a while. It was easily an hour ride out here and the horse always ran most of the way. I wasn't going to make it back before it got dark.

It was an hour before I even got to the worn path. I turned around to look at where the sun was on the horizon. I sighed, remembering all the times Heero and I had watched the sun set from this same spot. But I turned and continued into the trees, running out of time to get back.

About ten minutes into the trees, my soldier senses started to itch, telling me that I was being followed. It was dark now and I could hardly see. I nervously played with the white feather in my hands as I hurried along the worn path. Dead leaves rustled behind me and I spun around.

"Heero?" I asked, realizing I wasn't just calling my horse.

There was a low hiss that answered my call. That definitely wasn't my horse. I found myself, instead of running, looking around the darkness for him. I wanted to see that face that I have missed dearly for over a year. I had gone too long wishing that I could hold Heero in my arms again. I needed to see him one more time, even if it was in the form of that beautiful creature who was probably deciding whether or not to kill me right now.

The hiss faded away, then there was the sound of wings beating at the air. Then, everything was quiet. I exhaled and turned back around to follow the path back to the cabin. When I did reach the small cabin about an hour later, my leg was searing and I felt that I wasn't alone. That was when I saw the swish of a chocolate brown horse tail up next to the trailer.

"Heero!" I called to him, running forward.

His head shot up and he nickered to me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt his head press against my back, returning the hug.

"I'm sorry boy. I won't make you do that again. You scared me though, running off like that. I thought you were gone. Don't do that to me again, bud," I murmured into his thick coat.

There was a hiss that echoed in the distance and I hurried to take off the horse's equipment and load him into the trailer where he should be safe for the night. After he was locked up, I headed into the house and got something to eat before climbing up the stairs and crawling into bed. That was when I realized that I still had the feather in my hand. I pressed it to my nose and inhaled the creatures scent, Heero's scent. When I fell asleep, for the first time in the past fourteen months, I didn't have a night mare.

I was with Heero again. He was holding me in his strong arms, whispering loving words in my ear. When I wrapped my arms around him, I realized that he wasn't Heero. Soft, thick, feathered, white wings protruded from his shoulder blades. The hard muscle encased in feathers continued down then shot back up just above his head before falling down and thinning out. In between these cords of hard muscle, was a blanket of snow white feathers. I ran my fingers through the soft fuzz as I rested my head on Heero's strong shoulder. Even though it wasn't actually Heero, it was him, and I felt at home in his arms. For once since Heero's death, I didn't feel that deep loneliness and pain that was ever present. I felt whole. My other half was with me, and I never wanted to let him go. But, it had to end eventually, and it did with the rising sun.

I woke and found that I still had the feather in my hands and held against my chest, against my heart. I took a deep breath of his scent, then sat up. I hadn't bothered to change last night, so I was still in my jeans and black t-shirt. I changed clothes, then climbed down the ladder, feather still in hand, and limped into the kitchen to grab something to eat. I redid my braid as I waited for the coffee maker to finish brewing.

I couldn't help think about that dream, about how much… happier I felt, even though it wasn't really Heero who had held me. But he had whispered the same things Heero always used to tell me in my ear. One thing he had said bugged me. He had said 'I'm with you again, my Duo, and I'll never let you go'. I didn't know what that meant. He made it sound like he was back… I brushed that thought off quickly. Heero was dead. He died over a year ago. He wasn't coming back. Ever.

I brushed away the tears and poured myself a mug of coffee. I wanted to go back out and see that creature, but I wasn't going to take Heero with me this time. It was pure luck that he had ended up back at the trailer before a mountain lion or a bear, or even that creature had gotten to him. Before I left though, I needed to let Heero out of the trailer to eat and run around a little bit. So I grabbed a book out of my backpack and my coffee, then headed out front.

I opened the doors and Heero jumped out of the trailer, trotting a few laps to loosen up, then stopping to eat the flake of hay I had thrown in. I sat down with my back against a tree next to the pin and opened my book.

My horse was a slow eater because of his previous life. He was a starvation case, so I had assumed he would be a quick, aggressive eater. But it turns out that his body had a hard time getting back into a regular food schedule, so he had to eat slowly to avoid getting colic. I got bored waiting for him to finish, so after a while, I picked up the rest of the hay and put it in the hay net in the trailer. He followed it in and I locked the doors behind him. Tossing my book and empty mug into the cab of the truck, I popped a few pain relievers and anti-depressants, then started my long hike out to see the creature.

One thought occurred to me after a while of walking and thinking. Why didn't the creature leave? I had gone back and seen him in the same exact spot, so he must know that I know where he 'lives'. And it was pretty obvious that he wasn't unwilling to move. He had followed me twice, and had been spotted all over the mountain range. Either he wanted to eat me for dinner and was following me waiting for the right opportunity, or he liked my company… No. I throttled that thought before I could even finish thinking it. That creature may look like Heero, but he was _not_ Heero. He was a wild, vicious animal that was most likely a carnivore.

After about forty minutes of walking, that soldier instinct tingles and tells me to turn around, that there is someone following you. I listen, stopping and turning around to look back down the path. I see a flash of white way down the path, but it was gone as quickly as it came and I started to wonder whether or not I had imagined it. I shrugged and turned back around, but not letting down my guard as I continued down the makeshift path. Again, my instincts tell me to turn around, you aren't alone. And again, I turn around to see a flash of white dart into the trees. I stood and stared after it for a while, starting to doubt whether I was imaging it or not. I frown, then slowly turn back around.

I nearly collided with a chest of solid muscle and I jumped back, tripping over my own feet and landing flat on my back. The creature snarled loudly at me, all of his razor sharp teeth flashing at me before turning and running back into the trees.

"Wait!" I can't stop myself from calling to him as I jumped to my feet.

He hesitates, inclining an ear in my direction, razor sharp claws dug into a tree trunk, before shaking his head and climbing up the tree. I run over to the base of the tree and look up it, just making out the tips of feathers before they disappear into the thick branches.

I plopped back down onto my butt at the base of the tree. Since he did have perfectly good wings, I couldn't expect him to come back down _this_ tree, but I could hope. _Hope_ _what_? the logical part of my brain yelled at me. _That he comes back down this tree so he could eat you for dinner?_ I exhaled sharply, banging my head back into the rough bark. Looking up the tree, I see some white near the very top. He was sticking around. He was probably stalking me for dinner. Well, technically I was stalking him… I wonder what his mental capacity is. How intelligent is he? Is he human smart? Or bird dumb? Anyone who looked like Heero was most likely a genius. My horse backed up that theory. I wonder if he wondered why I was following him. He probably had no idea how important he was to me…

I didn't want to leave just yet. Just knowing that a creature heavily resembling Heero was near me made me feel better… or maybe it was just the anti-depressants kicking in. No, my heart told me. It was that creature. He was making me happy, partially filling in a piece of my soul that had been blown up in a meth lab. Nothing would ever fill that hole completely, but this creature was getting damn close. Along with my horse, the hole was near full, my soul nearly complete.

A stick broke above me, much closer than the creature had been a moment ago. I looked up to see him perched up on a branch no more than ten feet above my head. He was just watching me. He wasn't watching me with the eye of a predator, but seemed curious and almost like he was trying to remember something. Memory recall. He was intelligent.

In one quick motion, he jumped to a lower branch and hung from it by one hand for a moment, then dropped to the ground right in front of me. I jumped slightly, but was frozen in place by the creature's deep cobalt eyes, watching me intently. He stayed in his crouched position, thick bands of muscle tensed and ready to flee in a hurry. Or ready to attack suddenly if startled. And he remained like that for a very long minute. I used that time to take a good look at him.

His body was human. But there were differences. He walked on the balls of his feet like any other pawed animal did, his toenails and fingernails were replaced with claws, and every tooth in his mouth was pointed and razor sharp. And then there was the obvious snow white wings that grew from his shoulder blades. They were exactly how I had dreamt them. Three joints including the 'shoulder', and a thick blanket of white feathers only colored by small bits of dirt and tree sap.

I wanted so bad to reach out and touch that angel face not five feet away from me. I was so close to a face I had thought lost over a year ago. I wanted so bad to take advantage of this opportunity, knowing I could never get the chance again. The only thing keeping me from closing that small distance between us wasn't the fear of it attacking, but the fear of it fleeing. I didn't want him to leave.

While I was eyeing him, he was eyeing me. When his beautiful eyes fell on the end of my braid sitting in the dirt next to my hand, he hesitated, drawing a ragged breath. I could've sworn that recognition flashed in his eyes before it was gone and the blank expression returned. But then, one clawed, boney hand reached out towards me. He took a few steps on all fours, cautiously closing the distance and tenderly picking up the end of my braid in his dirty hand. Then, what he did next made my heart stop and tears sting in my eyes.

He rubbed the end of my braid between his fingers like Heero always did, then lifted it to his angelic face and kissed it.

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**So? Good? I hope so XD I'll update as soon as possible. Please review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the reviews! Well here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 4

I bit my tongue to keep from speaking and forced myself to stay perfectly still. I wanted this creature to stay with me. I didn't want to accidentally scare him off. But it was a useless effort. The second he dropped my braid, he stood up, spun around, and took off. This time he didn't stick around. I watched him retreat deep into the trees.

I drew in a shaky breath, the tears escaping my eyes. What was going on? I knew Heero was dead, but this creature… He looked, smelled, and acted like my Heero always did. The only differences seemed to be the snow white wings and an animalistic behavior. What did that mean? What was this creature? Why did it look so much like Heero? Why was it following me? Why wasn't it attacking me? I had so many questions, none of which I could answer. But maybe that creature could? If he had memory recall, then he was obviously a smart species. Smart enough to hold up a conversation? If he had the body of a man, then he must have the vocal cords of a man, so he had the ability to talk, but was he smart enough to engage in conversation? I wanted to find out. But I'd wait until later. I didn't want to push my luck with him.

I stood, wiped my eyes with my sleeve, then turned and limped back towards the cabin. I pulled the end of my braid out in front of me and played with the end of it. What was bugging me the most, was trying to figure out why he seemed to remembering something when he saw my braid. I couldn't even begin to guess what my braid had reminded him of. But he had definitely remembered something.

My soldier senses were still in full observation mode. I still had that feeling that I was being followed, but not as strong as before. The creature must've been keeping his distance. I kept walking, but hoped at the same time that he would follow me back.

And he did. At times he was close enough for me to hear his heavy, ragged breathing, and other times it was just a sense that told me he was nearby somewhere. When I got to the cabin, I made sure the horse's trailer was locked up tight, then turned to look for the creature. He wasn't around, so I limped up the stairs and into the cabin.

I pulled all the curtains back on every window so I had a clear view of the yard. I grabbed something to eat from the kitchen, then sat on the bench facing the window and ate. I saw the trailer rocking slightly and knew that the horse was moving around. He needed to be let out. I stood and walked down the stairs and over to the trailer. He stuck his nose out of the window and nickered to me.

"Yeah, I'm here boy," I told him, unhooking all the locks on the trailer doors.

Something fell behind me and I turned around and looked down to see a white feather next to my feet. I looked up into the trees, looking for that creature. I couldn't see him. I picked up the feather and turned it around in my fingers before opening the trailer and letting Heero out. Because the creature was here, I needed to stay out and watch the horse. I sat back against the tree inside the panels and the horse walked up to me.

"Hey buddy," I cooed, stroking his muzzle as he brought it down to nose my leg.

He sniffed the ground next to me, then his front knees bent and he plopped onto his side. He rolled so that his back was pressed up against my leg and I reached down to pet his fat stomach.

"You need to lose some weight bud," I laughed, and he snorted in response.

I turned my attention back to the feather and turned it around in my fingers while absentmindedly running my other hand through the horse's thick fur. There was a faint hiss in the trees above us and the horse's head shot up, ears pricked. I searched the trees, looking for the creature. I saw a flash of white way up in the tops of the trees as he jumped from one tree to another. Heero jumped to his feet, then bolted up into the trailer, his tail tucked and his ear back. I closed the doors just to be safe, then turned back to look for the creature. But he was gone.

I picked up the feather, tossed a few carrots into the trailer, then headed back into the house. I locked the door behind me out of habit, then sat back in the couch, watching the trailer through the open window. I sat ready to jump back up if he showed up again, still holding the feather in my hands. I brought it up to my nose and inhaled Heero's scent, then looked back out the window to see a flutter of white pass right in front of the window.

I jumped up and looked out through the glass. I didn't see anything and the horse wasn't throwing a fit, so he didn't sense it either. There was a thud on the wood of the stairs near the front door and I spun around. Cautiously, I approached the front door. It remained quiet, so I thought whatever it was had left, but then there was the scratch of claws on wood. I slowly opened the door, my heart racing, to see the creature standing on the front deck.

His head shot around to look at me, then he scrambled back, running into the railing. I put my hands up and backed away from him. He hesitated, but was still flustered by our closeness and turned to jump over the railing. His wings opened and he landed gracefully on the ground, then turned back to look at me. He didn't seem vicious or angry, only startled and… curious. I noticed then, since he was standing upright, that he was very skinny. I could count all his ribs from up here, his hip bones and shoulder blades protruded, and his spine stuck out. He wasn't lacking in muscle though. I could see the thick bands of it snaking down his arms, over his shoulders, along his chest, and down his legs.

"Wait here," I told him, then turned back into the house.

I pulled the bag of turkey out of the fridge and pulled out a handful of it. Hurrying back out towards the door, I stepped out and slowly walked down the stairs. He was still there, right where I had left him. He eyed me and backed away warily, but when he caught the scent of the meat in my hand, his eyes widened and he stopped.

"You look like you're hungry," I told him, holding out my handful of food to him.

He took a wary step forward and sniffed at the air slightly. I stopped moving so I wouldn't scare him away. I'd let him approach me if he wanted to. He continued to walk forward cautiously and when he got close enough to reach out and touch me, he stopped, rolling back on the balls of his feet. He didn't grab the food from me, or try and attack me to get at it. He waited for me to give it to him, despite how hungry he was. When he held out a hand, I placed the food in his hands. His long sharp claws tickled my skin as he slowly pulled his hand away, and that touch sent shivers through my body. He ate slowly, one bit at a time, instead of gorging like an animal. I sat down with my back against a tree to make myself as vulnerable and non-threatening as possible. He hesitated for a moment, then he sat down cross-legged in front of me. He kept his eyes on me while he ate, though, his back ramrod straight and his whole body ready to get up and run.

"Can you… can you understand me?" I asked him.

He continued to watch me and I was about to take that as a 'no', when he nodded his head. I exhaled a sigh of relief and smiled at him. His wings twitched as if he was about to take off, but then he slowly started to relax. He took another bite of the food, then offered me a piece. I shook my head and he nodded, continuing to eat.

"Can you talk?" I asked him.

He nodded and I raised an eyebrow at him. He put aside the meat and crawled forward so he was right in front of me. My breath caught and my heart nearly stopped. His deep blue eyes stared into mine for a moment, then he reached out and took my braid again.

"I remember…" he whispered, his voice hoarse and ragged, but still that same monotone as I remembered.

"What do you remember?" I asked him.

He kept his eyes on my braid as he ran it through his fingers.

"This," he told me, motioning to my braid, "seems familiar to me…"

"Where do you remember it from?" I asked him, begging him to remember.

His brow furrowed in thought and he opened his mouth to speak, but then the horse chose that moment to kick against the metal trailer. The creature jumped and then took off, leaving behind his food.

"Heero wait!" I called after him.

He froze, turning back to me. "Is that… Is that my name?" he asked.

I didn't know how to answer that. He wasn't Heero, but… was he? He looked like Heero, smelled like Heero, sounded like Heero… but was he really Heero? I wanted him to be.

"I'm not sure. You tell me," I told him.

"I remember…" he started, thinking hard, but then the horse kicked again and he startled and took off into the trees.

He was gone before I could stop him again and I exhaled sharply, turning back to the trailer. I pounded it with my fist and I heard the horse jump around inside.

"Darn it," I mumbled under my breath. "Thanks a lot, Heero."

I heard him snort and I sighed. I thought about what the creature had asked me. I could tell him that it was, but I wanted him to remember it himself. I had a feeling that this was something more than it seemed. Something was going on here and I wanted to find out what it was.

"I'm changing your name," I told the horse. "It'll be too confusing to have two Heero's. I think I'll name you… Tenshi."

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**So I got some comments on the horse's name and wondering if it would get changed. Well, I had thought the same thing XD Well please review and tell me what you think.**

**And the sequel to **Target** is completed! I posted the first chapter already, so yeah... Thanks to all of you who read and reviewed that story XD**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the reviews! They're really appreciated and make me feel loved XD So here you are. Enjoy :)**

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Chapter 5

As the sun started to set, I tossed hay into the trailer and locked the horse and myself up. I paced around the cabin for about an hour, watching the sun fade in the trees. I popped a few anti-depressants, then continued over to the window to check on the horse in the trailer.

I needed to get my answers by tomorrow, because I needed to leave around three tomorrow afternoon. I couldn't take any time off of work because Une and my partner would get suspicious. I could always come back next weekend, but I couldn't guarantee that the creature would be in this part of the mountains.

I sighed, sitting back into the couch and running a finger over the glass frame of Heero's picture. I held the feather to my nose with my other hand and inhaled Heero's scent.

I wanted to believe that Heero was back, that this was some sort of gift from God. But my mind told me that he was just a wild creature and that I shouldn't mess with him. I couldn't leave him alone though. He was all I thought about. I even dreamt of him.

I heard the sound of the plywood basement door swinging closed and then the rattle of someone in the basement. I was on my feet and out the door immediately, knowing exactly who it was. I limped hurriedly down the stairs and passed the trailer over to the door on the side of the cabin. I could hardly see in the pitch black night, but I finally found the hole in the door used as a makeshift handle. When I opened the door, I remained in the doorway so not to scare the creature. I turned on the flashlight and looked around the basement. I found him huddled in the corner, his white wings wrapped around him. He was shivering.

"Did you come in here to get warm?" I asked him, remaining as far away from him as possible.

He nodded. "I do every night."

"Oh… Well it's not much warmer in here than it is out there. But I have a fire going in the house if you would like to come up." What was I doing? I was inviting a wild, vicious animal into my cabin! No, I was inviting _Heero_ into _our_ cabin, my heart argued.

He looked cautious for a moment, then stood, his arms wrapped around himself and his wings trying to cover his thin body. I stepped out of the doorway and led him up the stairs. He hesitated at the front door, then warily entered. He spotted the fire and hurriedly made his way to it, kneeling right in front of it so that he was half facing the fire, half facing me. He folded his wings safely behind him and held his hands out to the fire. I hurried up the ladder and pulled a pair of sweats out of my duffle for him. They were old and ratty and he could keep them. They'd help him for when I wasn't here and the cabin was locked up. But I didn't know what to do about a shirt because of his wings. He'd just have to do without.

Down in the front room, the creature had turned so that his other side was close to the fire. He looked up at me as I held out the sweats. He took them tentatively and I looked around for a blanket. I found one on top of the bookshelf and handed it to him after he had pulled on the sweats.

He folded his wings down against his back so he could wrap the blanket tightly around himself. He just stood there though, looking like he wanted to sit down, but was afraid to. I frowned at him, then gestured to the couch.

"You can sit down. I won't touch you," I promised.

He looked suspiciously between me and the couch, then slowly sat down as far away from me as possible, his back ramrod straight and his whole body tense and ready to flee.

"So what were you going to say before my horse scared you away?" I asked to try and ease the tension.

"Horse?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the flames.

"Yeah. That's what was in that trailer," I told him. "I kept him in there to keep him safe from…" I was going to say him, but I didn't want to offend him, "bears and mountain lions."

"And me," he finished, his voice quiet like he was ashamed. "I don't eat horses."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't say anything. I sat on the far end of the couch, leaving a little bit of space between us. He tensed a little more, if that was even possible, but didn't move to get up.

"I was going to say that I remember things," he suddenly said. "But, it's not like my normal memory. It's like… like I'm remembering from another life…"

That made my breath catch in my throat. Was this actually Heero, just reborn into this creature? No, that sounded ridiculous. But…

"What kind of things do you remember like that?" I asked him.

"I remember… dream about… an explosion," he murmured, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes distant.

I felt my eyes watering. It was Heero. "What else do you remember?"

"I have this… empty feeling inside of me… like I'm missing something… or someone, that I was very close to… When I see you're hair, I feel it even stronger… like I'm missing something obvious," he told me, pulled the blanket tighter around himself, his claws digging into the fabric. "And you… When I first saw you on the horse, I felt like I knew you from somewhere. But I don't remember ever seeing you before."

He looked up at me then, staring intensely into my eyes. "And whenever I'm near you, my body wants me to do something, something that I don't understand… It's like an instinct that I don't know the meaning of…"

"What is it?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

He frowned, then closed the distance between us and pressed his lips to mine. My heart completely stopped and my breath stuck in my throat. I had gone fourteen months wishing I could feel this sensation again, and now that wish was being granted. I tried as hard as I could to keep from wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into me. But then, he broke it off as quickly as he started it. He looked back into the flames, hugging his knees to his chest and looking confused.

"I don't know what that means… but I like it," he breathed.

"What else do you remember from your previous life?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't remember much. I think that's where I know you from, I remember the word 'Preventers', I remember having someone that was really close to me… I dream about that person a lot. But all I see is a blackened silhouette. And a braid. That silhouette always has a braid… like yours."

I inhaled deeply, turning to look into the fire. I had to tell him. Would he believe me? Well, I could show him.

I got up and walked into the kitchen. I felt eyes on my back as I opened the far drawer and pulled out the news paper from right after his death, the one with the full story printed on the front page. It was a huge thing, the death of an ex-Gundam pilot, and it had made the front page even all the way out here. I sat back on the couch, then hesitated before handing him the paper. I didn't ask if he could read, knowing he probably could. He took the paper and read the headline.

"That… That's my picture…" he whispered, pointing to Heero's picture, his picture. "Heero Yuy… That's my name…" It wasn't a question. He was remembering. And as he read the article, I saw many emotions flit across his face. They were mostly pain, relief, realization, recall. It seemed like everything was coming back to him and I watched his eyes light up.

"I remember this… Preventers… that's where we used to work as partners… We were on a mission, investigating a group making and selling drugs… right?" I nodded and he continued. "You were calling for a search warrant… I didn't want to wait… I should've waited, shouldn't I?"

"Yes, you should have," I told him, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"I tripped on something… and then that's as far as the memory goes. I remember flames, pain, and… fear? Yes. I was afraid… Afraid that you had been caught in the explosion as well… We were more than just partners, weren't we?"

I nodded, waiting for him to figure it out on his own.

"We… I… I'm in love with you…" he whispered, and his eyes were wide, as if he had finally figured everything out. "Is that what that… that instinct meant?"

I nodded again and he looked down at his hands. "And… And you loved me back?"

"Yes, and I still do, Heero," I told him, my eyes watering.

He smiled, his razor sharp teeth flashing slightly, but then, his smile faltered. "But, Duo…" My heart jumped. He remembered my name. "I'm not… I'm not _me_ anymore." He seemed like he was getting angry, frustrated, and… hurt. "I mean… I have these," he nearly growled, pulling a wing out from the blanket and ripping off a feather. "And these," he continued, holding up his long sharp claws and tapping his teeth.

"But you are still Heero," I insisted. "You are still the man I love. You are just a little… different."

"Dangerous," he corrected me.

"Different."

He played with a few of the feathers on his wing and I noticed a bit of red starting to stain his white feathers. It was blood from when he ripped out the feather.

"Do you still love me?" I asked him.

"I definitely feel something whenever I'm with you… I think it is love, but I'm not sure what love is… I just know… know that I never want you to leave. I know that I'm having a hard time keeping distance between us… So… I guess… yes. I love you."

I smiled and his eyes seemed to light up. He scooted closer to me and kissed me lightly again.

"Just one problem, other than the fact that I could kill you on accident," he told me.

"What would that be?" I asked him, afraid to hear the answer.

"That… I don't know how to love you…" he admitted.

"Well… I'm sure you'll figure it out," I promised him.

He was about to say something, but then his stomach growled and he blushed, grabbing his stomach. I laughed and pointed towards the kitchen.

"There is food in there. Help yourself. I'm going to bed," I told him. "I guess you can sleep with me upstairs like you used to, or if you still feel uncomfortable, I guess you can sleep on the couch."

"I'll stay down here I guess. I… I don't want to accidentally hurt you while I sleep."

"You won't hurt me. Besides… I've slept alone for far too long," I told him.

He hesitated on his way to the kitchen. "Okay. Are you hurt?"

"What?"

"I noticed that you have a limp. Are you okay?"

"It was that accident that killed you… It damaged my leg and shoulder. I have a permanent limp and can't lift my arm higher than my shoulder. But it doesn't bother me," I explained.

"Oh… I'm sorry," he murmured then left.

I watched him retreat into the kitchen, then stood and climbed the ladder. I pulled off my shirt and pants and pulled on my other sweats and baggy t-shirt. After I crawled into the sleeping bag, I heard the cupboard close, then the couch squeak. I sighed. He had changed his mind and was going to sleep down there. But then I heard the flap of wings and I rolled over and looked just as he landed gracefully on his feet in the loft. He walked over to me and wrapped his wings around himself before laying down next to me, putting as much room between us as possible. I didn't move to scoot closer to him though. He was still tensed and that wild side still simmering just below the surface. I closed my eyes, keeping my back turned to him. After a while, when I was almost asleep, Heero moved closer to me. He probably thought I was asleep when he wrapped an arm around my waist and draped one wing over me.

I fell asleep like that, my heart soaring, elated to have the man I had missed for fourteen months back with me.

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**Yay! Well, that's what I said when I wrote it XD Please review! Thank you :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for all the reviews! *loves you all* Here's the next chapter for you guys. Please enjoy!**

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Chapter 6

When I awoke, I rolled over to find Heero gone. The sleeping bag was still warm, so he was there not too long ago. But that was Heero… always up at the crack of dawn. I heard movement down in the front room, so I stood and made my way down the ladder.

What I saw when I got down there confused me. Heero was sitting at the table, a large knife in his hands, blood all over the table, and was trying to cut off his claws. His face was blank and emotionless, only scowling slightly when he brought the knife down on his claw. I ran over and pulled the knife from his hands and grabbed a roll of paper towels.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yelled at him, holding the paper towels to his bleeding hands. I was glad he had just managed to cut off one and it was on his little finger.

"I hurt you. I don't want to do it again," he told me, refusing to look up into my eyes and trying to hide the pain from his voice.

"What…?"

He grabbed my arm and, with a nail that wasn't cut yet, matched it to a long slice in my upper arm. I hadn't even noticed it. But now that he pointed it out, I realized that it was deep and jagged and was bleeding pretty badly.

"I've had worse, Heero," I told him, pressing a paper towel to my arm. "You can't just cut your claws off. What were you thinking?"

I looked up from his hands to see pain in his eyes as he said, "I hurt you. I… I didn't even realize it. I woke up and saw the blood. I thought you were dead before I saw that it was just your arm. I don't want to do it again. I want these off," he insisted, moving to bite them off.

I pulled his hand down. "You don't have to cut them, Heero. We can file them down. That way is much less painful. But… don't you need them to hunt? To survive out in the woods?"

His face took on a new type of pain. "I… I have to go back out there? You… you don't want me?"

"No! Of course I want you! I just… I just didn't know you wanted to stay with me. Heero… I can't stay here. I still work for Preventers and I need to go back home. Back to the city. You are welcome to come back with me, but you'll be living around people."

He thought about that, but then looked up at me again. "As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine," he told me. But then he frowned, playing with one of his wings. "If only we could file these down too."

I laughed and hugged him to me. He tensed slightly, then tentatively returned the hug.

"I'll be able to hide these," he told me. "They should fit under a coat, but they are a little long. I'll have to trim them."

I nodded and turned my head to kiss his neck. He pulled back, startled a little, and raised a hand to touch his neck.

"What… what did you do?" he asked, sounding a little confused.

"I just kissed you," I told him, feeling as confused as he seemed.

"Kiss?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "Like this." I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.

"Oh," he smiled when I gave him his lips back.

"Well, if you're done mutilating yourself, I need to go ride my horse before I load him back up and head home, and I'd like you to come with me," I told him, standing.

"Horse… I don't remember a horse…" he told me, standing.

"I got him after you died. I needed a companion and he needed a home," I replied, limping to the front door.

He followed right behind me down the stairs and towards the trailer.

"What's his name?" he asked me.

"Well… it was Heero before I found you. But I thought it would be really confusing having two Heero's, so I just changed it to Tenshi."

"Japanese… I used to speak Japanese didn't I…"

"Yup. Do you remember any of it?"

He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "Aishiteru… zutto."

I could feel myself blushing as I turned to open the trailer. The horse jumped out, eager to be out of the box, but when he saw Heero, he freaked out. His head went up and his ears went back. He snorted and reared up. Heero jumped back in surprise, tripping and falling on his butt. I could see that he was fighting very hard to ignore that animal instinct that told him to run. I turned to the horse and grabbed his top lip and squeezed as hard as I could. The horse immediately started to calm down. Keeping my grip on his pressure point, I reached up with my other hand to stroke his face.

"It's okay boy," I murmured to him. "He won't hurt you. Trust me. It's just Heero, bud. Heero is back."

He exhaled deeply and I slowly let go of his lip. He stayed calm, but eyed Heero warily. I tied him to the trailer and started to brush him. Heero got up and cautiously made his way over to the horse. He held out his hands to the horse and the horse sniffed him. Content that Heero wasn't going to hurt him, the horse relaxed. He trusted me to keep him safe.

Once he was all tacked up, I mounted and pulled the horse back.

"We are walking this time, Tenshi," I told him sternly as he tried to take off.

He snorted and tossed his head, but continued at a walk. Heero followed next to us, easily keeping pace with the horse's slow stride. We both remained quiet for the beginning of the ride, but then I broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Are you sure you're okay with coming back into town with me?" I asked him.

"As long as you'll be there, I'll be fine. I don't want to live out here alone anymore," he responded, looking down at his feet.

I nodded and pulled the horse back when he tried to go faster. There was a growl from in the trees and the horse tossed his head. I recognized it immediately as the growl of a bear. Before I could do anything about it though, Heero hissed and I heard the sounds of the bear running deeper into the forest.

"Thanks," I murmured.

"No problem. I really don't like bears. They always scare off prey and are always looking for a fight," he frowned.

"You've been in a fight with a bear?"

"When I first came here, yeah, a lot. But now they know to keep their distance. Mountain lions are different though. They are really aggressive. I don't stay to fight with a mountain lion."

I didn't know how to respond to that. I couldn't imagine Heero in a fight with a full grown bear, or a mountain lion. But, looking down at the bare skin of his back and arms, I could see a bunch of scars. They looked like they came in sets of three or four. Claw marks. And many obvious teeth marks. I shuddered at the thought that Heero had been out here for fourteen months alone fighting off bears.

"I should've found you sooner," I mumbled to myself.

"Well I found you a long time ago. I should've approached you sooner."

"I didn't even know you were here."

"Well I had done a much better job of staying hidden before. But this time, I couldn't help getting closer. It was like… like I was drawn to you…"

"Well, I couldn't leave you alone either, couldn't stop thinking about you. That's why I was stalking you," I laughed.

He laughed too, and that sound made my heart clench. I hadn't heard that sound in so long it was painful. I wanted to hear it more.

"I always loved it when you laughed," I told him. "Back during the war, you were always so… serious. You hardly even smiled and when you did laugh, it was masochistic and evil."

"War… I remember a war too. We were pilots?"

"Yeah. We were both Gundam pilots, along with three others."

"Trowa Barton, Quatre Winner, and… WuFei. Chang WuFei. I remember them," he murmured, lost in thought. "I remember a Dr. J too… Did he give me my Gundam? Gundam Wing…"

I nodded.

"But… I had a different Gundam at the end of the war…" he frowned, playing with one of his wings. "Zero… Wing Zero… That was my Gundam at the end of the war, right?"

I nodded again.

"This is so weird…" he exhaled. "I remember all these things, but I don't remember actually doing them. It's like I'm remembering someone else's memories."

I just looked at him, not sure how to respond. We walked in silence for another long while. I didn't like that though. I wanted him to keep talking. I had gone much too long without hearing his voice, so the silence was almost painful. I had a feeling he felt the same way, because he seemed eager to finally break the silence.

"What's it like? Living around people?" he asked me.

"Well… it's busy, crowded sometimes, loud… I don't really know how to describe it… But you were never very social, Heero, so you won't have to worry about that," I reassured him.

He nodded. "Will I have to go back to work?"

"Not unless you want to. Une gave me a new partner just after the accident."

He nodded. "I think I want to stay at your house. I… I don't like crowds… or people," he muttered, sounding ashamed of himself.

"_Our _house, Heero. And that's fine by me. You do whatever makes you feel the most comfortable."

He nodded. "I lived with you?"

I nodded.

"I don't remember much about our lives together. I just always saw a silhouette in my dreams. A silhouette with a braid… And I was always holding him… you… And I was always telling him 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you'."

I took a deep breath, wiping away my tears. "My dreams were always of the accident," I told him. "I always woke up in the middle of the night praying that it wasn't real, then I'd roll over to see that it was… that you were gone."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be. You couldn't have known that the building was rigged to blow. You're with me now, and that's all that matters."

I caught the smile tugging at the corners of his lips before he turned his face away. I smiled back, turning my attention back to the horse and the trail. When we reached the meadow, we walked out into the opening and I dismounted. I tied the horse's reins around the saddle horn so he wouldn't step on them, then let him go so he could eat. I knew he wouldn't go far. Heero sat down in the tall grass and I sat down next to him. He looked around and seemed almost sad to leave.

"You… You don't have to leave if you don't want to," I told him, but it was hard to say. I didn't want to leave him.

"No, I want to go," he insisted, playing with the long grass.

"Well, I'm up here every weekend, so you don't have to worry about never coming back," I promised him.

He nodded, looking down at his hands. Suddenly, he leaned over and took my face in his hands, then pressed his lips to mine.

"Sorry," he apologized after he pulled back. "I just had that… that urge again."

"Don't be sorry. I don't mind at all," I told him, my cheeks feeling hot.

He raised a hand and lightly brushed my cheek with the back of his fingers. I blushed deeper and covered my face with my hands.

"Sorry," I mumbled into my hands.

Heero chuckled. "Don't be. Uhm, Duo?"

"Yeah?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Your horse is leaving," he told me, pointing off to where my horse was walking away.

I whistled to him and called him and he turned his head, then trotted over to us. I stood and untied his reins.

"We should probably get back and start packing," I told Heero as he stood. "Would you like to ride?"

"You should ride. You're hurt."

"It's just a limp. I'll be fine. It doesn't hurt me anymore."

"I'm not sure he likes me very much though," Heero pointed out, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I think you're right…" I realized, noticing the horse's tense posture. "But he'll get used to you eventually."

"I hope so, cause I'm not planning on leaving any time soon."

"That's good to hear," I smiled, taking his hand and heading back to the cabin.

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**So I don't like this chapter as much as the others, but I don't know why... Oh well, please review and tell me what you think! Thank you :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**So here's the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews on the last one :) Enjoy!**

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Chapter 7

Heero helped me pack up and load the truck. I let Tenshi stay out in the pin so he could loosen up before the long ride home. Once everything was packed up and loaded, I went around the cabin turning down all of the pictures. With that done, I locked up, loaded the horse into the trailer, then climbed in the cab. Heero sat in the passenger's seat, his wings underneath him. He seemed a little uncomfortable in the close cab, but when he rolled down the window, he relaxed a little.

"You okay?" I asked him as I started the truck.

He nodded, keeping his gaze out the window.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked him. "I'll be up here every weekend, so you don't have to come if you don't want to."

He turned around and lightly pressed his lips to mine before turning back out the window. "Every weekend won't be enough. Besides, I've been out here alone for over a year, sleeping in trees, praying that I was high enough the predators couldn't get me, scavenging for food, hoping I'd find enough to get me through the day, trying to find warm places to hide, not knowing if the cold that night was going to be what killed me… I'm ready to get out of here, to start a new life. A life with you."

I smiled and took his hand as I pulled the truck out of the driveway. He was quite on our way out of the mountains. He watched the trees go by and kept the window open, breathing in the mountain scent. When the trees started to space out and we came into the little hunting village at the base of the mountains, he straightened up, body tensed, then slouched back into the seat. I squeezed his hand and he looked back at me, then back out the window. When we got into the more civil part of town, the part where the people were out around town, Heero reached into the backseat of the truck and pulled out the blanket, wrapping it around himself to hide his wings.

Usually, I stopped for gas and food here, but Heero was obviously nervous, so I continued through the town. I could find a smaller, less populated area to get gas and food later.

"So this is what it's like? Being out in public?" he asked nervously, rolling up the window and sitting back into the seat.

"It's a lot worse where we live, love," I told him.

He turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow. "What did you call me?"

"Love? It's just a term of endearment. I used to call you that all the time," I explained.

"Really? I don't remember that… What did I call you?"

"Uhm, most of the time you called me 'baka'. But sometimes you called me 'babe'," I told him.

"Baka… why did I call you that?" he frowned.

"I actually have no idea," I answered. "Probably because it's true," I laughed.

He laughed too and pulled his blanket tighter around him, checking to make sure his wings were hidden as much as possible. I squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, his nails tickling my skin. I reached across him to the glove compartment and pulled a metal file out of it.

"If you want to get rid of those claws, this is how you do it," I told him and handed it to him. "You don't take a knife to them."

He nodded and got to work right away. Judging by the length of those claws, he'd probably be at it for the rest of the ride. But, about another hour into the ride, he had trouble keeping his eyes open, then he was out. I couldn't describe the feeling that coursed through me. He trusted me enough to sleep near me.

I decided that we should stop now, since Heero was asleep. I pulled into the next gas station I saw and filled up the truck. While the tank was filling, I ran into the small deli attached to the station and got us something to eat. I didn't know what he liked, so I just got him plain turkey. When the tank was full, I climbed back into the cab and the closing door woke him.

"Did I fall asleep?" he asked groggily.

"Yeah, that's okay though," I told him.

"Sorry," he apologized, picking up the file from his lap. "I was never able to get much sleep… guess that caught up to me…"

"You never slept?"

"Only for about an hour at a time. You always need to be on guard when you live in the woods with the wild animals."

"Oh… well you can go back to sleep, if you want to," I told him. "We'll be back home in about an hour."

He nodded, but continued to file down his claws.

"You don't have to file them off, Heero. You just need to file off the point."

He nodded and moved to the next claw. I handed him the sandwich and he eagerly unwrapped it.

"I don't know what you like, so it's just turkey," I told him.

"That's fine. Thank you," he responded, setting down his file so he could eat.

Once he was finished, he picked up the file and got back to work. It was almost like he had made it his mission. Knowing him, he probably had. I found myself rubbing my arm where the bandages were. When I looked back at him, he was watching me.

"Does your arm hurt?" he asked me.

"No," I answered honestly. "It's just the bandages are a little itchy."

He set down his file and turned in his seat. He took my arm and unwrapped the bandages, careful not to nick me with his still sharp claws. He tore off the bloodied part of the wraps, then tore a piece off of his sweats. He put the softer fabric on my arm, then rewrapped my arm with the rest of the bandages.

"That better?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks," I told him, turning my attention back to the road.

He leaned across the bench and kissed my cheek. "I'm sorry."

"It was an accident, Heero. I'm sure you didn't mean to," I brushed it off, blushing slightly.

"I should've been more careful though," he frowned, picking back up the metal file.

"So what happened?" I asked him.

"What happened with what?" he raised an eyebrow at me.

"After the accident. I'm still confused on why you are here. Why you are alive. I saw you die. I saw you in the morgue. I was at the funeral. I…" I stopped myself as the tears started to sting in my eyes.

"I… I don't know," he answered with a frown, looking down at his newly filed claws. "I've been thinking about that a lot, ever since I met you. I've been going back over my memories of this life and my last. All I remember is the explosion, then… nothingness, emptiness… Then the next thing I remember is waking up halfway up a tree with a bear trying to get at me. I don't know what to make of it. The only thing I can thing of is…" he trailed off, his face disbelieving.

"Reincarnation?" I supplied.

"Yeah, but that doesn't make any sense. That doesn't really happen, does it? And if it does, nobody remembers their previous life, so why did I?"

"I have no idea."

We were quiet then as we started getting close to home and were passing through the main part of town. Heero sat back in the seat a little, but continued to look out the window. I pointed to buildings and shops, places he might need to know about. We passed a large building near the center of town and he tapped on the window.

"I know that place…" he told me.

"Yeah, that's Preventers headquarters," I told him. "See the window on the top floor, second from the left side? That's our old office. After the accident, they assigned me a new partner, but if you ever want your position back again, then I'm sure Une will give it back. Of course, it might be a little hard to convince everyone you are still alive…" I pointed out, rubbing the back of my neck.

He nodded. "You don't live in town do you?"

"No. Our house is a few minutes drive into the country. Neither of us are big on city life."

He nodded, seeming relieved. He seemed even more relieved when the houses and buildings gave way to trees and open fields. Five minutes passed the city limits, I slowed and pulled into our driveway. Heero looked around, seeming to remember. I pulled the truck around back and up to the pasture. Once the car was stopped, Heero climbed out of the cab and stretched his wings.

"Welcome home," I told him.

He looked around, then headed for the back door. I let Tenshi out into the paddock, then tossed him some food before following him into the house.

"Heero?" I called out to him. "Heero?"

I headed upstairs and found him in the bedroom, facing the bed.

"I remember this room…" he told me, running his dulled claws across the soft fabric. "This is where my dreams always take place."

I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He lowered his wings out of my way as I rested my head against his back. I kissed the ridge of his spine and leaned my forehead against him.

"I missed you so much, Heero," I murmured into his neck.

"I missed you too, Duo. Even though I didn't know who I was missing, I knew I was missing someone," he told me.

My cell started to ring in my pocket, making both of us jump. Heero spun around as I released him and I answered my phone.

"Maxwell," I answered.

"Oh good, you're back from the mountains. How was it?" Une asked me.

"I'm sure you didn't call me just to ask how my trip was," I pointed out, running a finger over Heero's toned, but thin chest.

"Well, it's just that you always come back from that place depressed. Well, more depressed than usual… You sound better though… much better than I've heard you sense the accident. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is perfect. I'll explain later," I told her.

"Alright… Well, I called you because your case just got a lead. You don't have to come in today, but I want you in as soon as you can."

"What's the lead?"

"Not much. Just a hit on fingerprints lifted at the scene. We're tracking down the man, but we can't find him. It's probably nothing. Just be in by tomorrow, seven o'clock."

"Yes, ma'am." Then I hung up and turned back to Heero.

"Who was that?" he asked me, skimming his dulled claws across my cheek.

"My boss. Remember Une?"

"That scary women?"

"Yeah, that completely sums her up," I laughed.

Heero smiled, then cut off my laugh with a deep kiss. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the softness of his wings against my arms.

"Does she need you at Preventers?" Heero asked around my kiss.

"Eventually, but not now. I will be gone all day tomorrow though," I responded.

"Hm," he mumbled, sinking back into my kiss.

"I thought you said you didn't know how to love me," I reminded him as he kissed my neck.

"I knew how to love you before, didn't I? I just have to remember, and I think I'm remembering."

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**So I know that didn't really explain what happened to Heero, but _I_ don't even really know what happened. I couldn't think of anything other than what they had talked about... So sorry if that doesn't clear things up at all... Please review. Thank you :)**

**I'll have **Target 2** updated some time tonight (has been slacking and hasn't proofed it yet) Hopefully I won't forget... XD**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here you go! Thanks for all the reviews! Please enjoy XD**

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Chapter 8

My internal alarm woke me up at six. At the back of my mind, I remembered Heero being with me… Was it all a dream? Heero couldn't really be back… could he? But then I felt the strong arms around me and the soft feathers tickling the bare skin of my side and back. I opened my eyes and found myself staring at Heero's collar bone. His chest rose and fell and I could hear his heart slow in sleep. I sighed a shaky sigh, kissing the skin of Heero's collar bone. It wasn't a dream. Heero was with me again.

Careful not to wake him, I lifted his wing and tried to roll away from him. But, a year of being out in the wild and a previous life as a soldier had given him a hair trigger. His arms constricted around me and a hiss escaped his lips before he realized that it was just me. He calmed down immediately, kissing the top of my head, but didn't move to release me.

"As much as I want to stay here forever, I need to go to work," I murmured into his collar bone.

He released his grip on me and raised his wing. I climbed out of bed and made my way over to the closet to get dressed. I heard Heero groan and roll over and I looked over to see him lying on his stomach, one wing pulled up over his head. I could see the drastic contrast of his tangle of chocolate brown hair against the snow white feathers of his wing. I also noticed all the ragged scars trailing down his body and under the sheets at his hips.

"I thought you didn't sleep much in the forest. And besides, you were always up at the butt crack of dawn in your previous life," I pointed out, pulling on my Preventers slacks.

His wing lifted just enough for me to see his face and the smile tugging at his lips. "I'm taking advantage of the opportunity. I just slept…" he glanced at the clock, "six straight hours. I've never had the luxury of doing that before."

"You slept that long, if not longer, up at the cabin," I reminded him as I slipped on my jacket.

"Actually… I didn't. I stayed awake most of the night, afraid to sleep in a new environment, and when I did sleep, I woke up about an hour later to the smell of blood," he told me, then dropped his wing back over his head.

I laughed. "Well, kitchen is downstairs and on the far left and the bathroom is just on the other side of that door. Make yourself at home and I'll be back anywhere from nine tonight to nine three days from now."

"That long?" he asked, raising his wing again.

"Well, after the accident, I completely devoted my life to Preventers. I didn't want to come home to an empty house and painful memories," I explained, turning my attention to the mirror so I could braid my hair.

I didn't hear him get up, but he appeared in the mirror behind me and took my hair from my hands so he could finish braiding it himself.

"It hurt you that bad?" he asked, tying off the rubber band.

"Of course it hurt!" I exploded, all those build up emotions and feelings finally finding its release. "I watched the man I loved more than anything blow up in my face! In one flash, my entire world was ripped away from me! Those paramedics told me that you'd be okay, that they'd save you! They lied to me! Then they couldn't even look me in the eyes to tell me that," I yelled, my eyes watering.

Heero wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling him back into him. "I'm so sorry, Duo, my love," he whispered into my ear. "If I had known how much pain you were in, I… I would've approached you sooner. But I have to be honest with you… I'm glad I didn't wait for you to get that warrant. I'm glad I went in there alone. Because if you had gone in there with me… Because of some miracle, I was reborn and managed to retain my memories, but would you have been? I'm not so sure. I probably wouldn't have been either. It was like I was put back on this earth for you and you alone, Duo."

I sniffled and wiped away the tears with the back of my sleeve, watching him in the mirror as he kissed my neck. His wings hung gracefully behind him and they seemed to glow in the low light peeking in from the blinds. I spun around in his arms, reaching out and stroking the soft feathers of one of his wings.

"You know, these are really beautiful," I told him.

"Really? I was going to see if I could get them removed."

I pulled back to look at him. "You're joking, right?"

"Think about it, Duo. If I'm ever going to get back into Preventers, into society, I think it would be really hard to hide a twelve foot wingspan," he pointed out, then shrugged. "It wasn't a definite decision, just a thought, so we'll see. I kind of like them too."

I nodded and then stepped away from him and headed for the door.

"Well I gotta go," I sighed as he plopped back in bed, pulling his wing back over his face.

I walked over to the bed and pulled his wing down so that I could kiss him before I headed for the door.

"Oh and Heero?" I called back through the door.

"Hn?" I heard him mumble into the pillows.

"Don't get your wings removed without talking to me about it, please?" I asked him.

"Of course," his voice muffled.

"Thank you," I sighed.

"I want you to have a say in every aspect of my life, like a real couple does. Even if it is about two growths on my back," he responded.

I smiled then frowned. "They aren't growths. I think they're beautiful."

"Hn," he grunted, then I left.

I really didn't want to go to work. I had this feeling that I was still dreaming and I'd come back home to an empty house and a worsening depression. And if this was true, I didn't want to spend my day in the office dealing with perps. I wanted to spend it with Heero. But I had to work. That job and a lawn mower on hooves were the only things keeping me sane. And Heero. Heero would keep me sane now too.

I grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen, then climbed in my truck and headed off to the office.

"You seem… different, Maxwell. Is everything okay?" Une asked me as I entered her office.

"Just fine, ma'am. I just took my anti-depressants, so maybe that's what it is," I lied. Anti-depressants… I played with the bottle in my pocket. I hadn't taken any for two days… The last time I skipped a day was the day I almost killed myself on the roof.

"Huh. Well this is the file on our hit. Barton isn't in yet, so you'll have to run the lead on your own. Can I trust you with this alone?" she asked seriously, pulling my service weapon out of her drawer.

"Yes ma'am," I reassured her, my smile genuine.

She nodded and handed me the gun. I slipped it onto my belt, then took the file and headed up to my office. I read the file on my way down the hallways towards my office, which caused me to bump right into someone also reading a file and walking the other way.

"Sorry," I muttered quickly, then looked up from the file to see it was Quatre. "Oh, hey Quatre. Where's Trowa?"

"He's not coming in today. He got some sort of food poisoning last night so he's taking the day off. But, I have nothing to do today other than finish a few files, so I can take his place if you need help," he offered with a genuine smile.

Even though I know he's doing it just because he's afraid to leave me alone with a gun, I'm still grateful for the help, so I respond, "That would be awesome. Thanks Quatre."

"No problem. You seem… better. Did you enjoy your trip up to the mountains?" he asked as we headed towards my office.

"Yeah, it was nice," I answered honestly.

A frown touched his face slightly and the turned to face me as we entered the office. "You seem really happy. That's not a bad thing, but I'm just a little curious." Worried was probably what he meant.

"It's nothing. I just ran into an old friend up there," I said, and it was actually kind of the truth.

"Oh really?" he asked, his frown fading and smile returning as he sat down in Trowa's desk across from mine.

I nodded and turned my attention back to my file. It was just a man that worked for a rent-a-car service here in the city. I frowned, then picked up the phone and dialed Trowa.

"What?" he asked, sounding like he really was sick.

"Hey, it's me. I have the file of the man we got a hit on here and I was just curious… Where did we lift his prints from?"

"The scene," he answered in his usual one to two word sentences.

"I know that, but where specifically."

"A car."

I sighed in exasperation. "Was it a rent-a-car?"

"Yes."

I sighed again. "He works for a rent-a-car company. His fingerprints are probably on every car in that company."

"Easy access. Run the lead," he insisted.

"I was going to. Thanks."

The line went dead and I shook my head. "What is conversation like at your place, Quatre?" I laughed. "I can hardly get two words from the guy."

"Was that Trowa?" he asked, looking up from his file, his face shocked at actually hearing me laugh.

I nodded and he shrugged. "He is quite, but when he has something to say, he says it."

"Well, I need to run a lead. You coming?"

"Of course," he responded, standing and grabbing Trowa's set of keys to our Preventers SUV.

The lead turned out to be a bust. We couldn't find the guy, but we talked to his boss at the car place and he gave the kid an alibi, though it wasn't much of an alibi. 'Yeah he was here.' 'What time did he clock out?' 'Oh I don't know. Nine? Maybe twelve?' I wasn't too confident in that alibi, but I wrote it down anyway. I hadn't really been paying attention at all, just jotting down a few notes. I had been thinking about Heero. I was a little worried about him being home alone all day. What if something happened? I forced myself to focus on my case. I'll go home for lunch, I decided.

"You seem completely distracted," Quatre pointed out, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Sorry, just thinking," I responded, turning my gaze from out the window to him.

"Thinking about what?"

"My friend," I answered honestly.

He nodded. I wanted so badly to tell him, to tell someone, about Heero, but they'd probably think I was insane and commit me to a mental hospital or something. They tried to do it before and this would be perfect cause to try again, me thinking my dead lover was alive again and had a pair of angel wings. Yeah, that wasn't insane at all…

When we pulled back into Preventers parking lot, it was almost noon, so I headed straight for my truck.

"I'm taking an early lunch break. I'll be back in an hour or two," I told Quatre over my shoulder.

"Alright," he called back as I climbed into the cab.

I hurried home and pulled into the driveway. Unlocking the front door and entering the house, I looked around for Heero. I didn't see him, or hear anything.

"Heero?" I called. No answer. I frowned and tried again. "Heero?"

Still no answer. I took the stairs two at a time and stuck my head into the bedroom. The bed was made and the room was empty. I could feel myself starting to worry, but I was also beginning to think that I had just been dreaming, that all of this wasn't real, that I really was starting to go insane.

I headed over to the window and heaved a huge sigh of relief when I saw a familiar pair of white wings in the long grass and my horse laying next to them. Heero was lying on his stomach, a book opened in front of him. What warmed my heart though, was the fact that my horse was resting his head on Heero's lower back just below his wings. The horse did that with me often, but that was because we held such a strong bond. The horse was trusting Heero now too. Horse's only lay down when they feel absolutely safe because it's hard for them to get up and take off if there is danger.

I smiled and headed downstairs and out the back door. The horse lifted his head when he heard me approaching and he nickered to me, but didn't stand up. Heero turned his head and frowned.

"I thought you said you'd be home late," he pointed out, rolling over and sitting up.

"I decided to come home for lunch," I told him, sitting back against my horse's stomach. "I could leave if you want me to," I joked, not expecting his reaction.

"No!" he begged, reaching over and grabbing my wrist.

"Okay, okay! I was just messing with you Heero," I laughed.

He sighed and settled back down. The horse brought his head around to rest it in my lap and I played with his ears. Heero reached over and patted the horse's neck.

"I got him to trust me," he told me.

"I see that. How?"

"Uhm… I don't know. I came out here to read and he just walked up to me and laid down."

"Huh. And how are you? You alright staying here alone?" I asked, trying not to sound like I didn't trust him home alone. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, it was just that I was a little nervous.

He set down his book and moved closer to me so that he could kiss me. "I'm fine alone. I've been alone for over a year. I would be better if I wasn't, though."

"Yeah, I'd rather be here too," I grumbled.

My cell started to ring and I quickly answered it.

"Maxwell? Where did you go?" Une's voice demanded.

"I went home for lunch," I told her as Heero laid back on his back with his book.

"Oh. You haven't done that since…" she cut herself off.

"Yeah, I… I forgot my lunch," I lied, running my free hand through Heero's unruly hair.

"Oh, well, how did your lead go?"

"It was a bust. We weren't able to track down the dude, but the boss alibied him. It was a really shaky alibi though. Do want us to sit on his apartment until he comes back?" I asked her.

"Absolutely. But Winner won't be able to sit with you. You'll either have to get Barton to get his lazy ass out of bed or you'll have to go alone," she told me.

"I'll go alone. I really don't want Trowa puking all over me," I grimaced. "When do you want me to stake out?"

"As soon as you can get up there. Don't bother reporting back to headquarters. Take your truck. It will be more inconspicuous than our SUVs."

"Yes ma'am," I responded and was about to hang up when she spoke again.

"And Maxwell? Don't do anything rash," she demanded.

"Yes ma'am."

I hung up and shoved Tenshi's head out of my lap to regain circulation to my legs, and so I could lie next to Heero. I turned my head to look at him. He kept his eyes on his book, but reached down with one hand so he could take my hand in his.

"Was that your boss?"

"Yup. What do you say about going on a stake out with me?" I asked him. I wasn't worried about getting in trouble, because no one would know and also I didn't need to get clearance for someone to sit in a car all day with me.

He turned to look at me, completely forgetting about his book. "I'm allowed to do that?"

"You're just going to be sitting in a car with me. What's there to do?" I grinned.

"What's the target?"

"Just some little punk who's fingerprints turned up at our crime scene. We haven't been able to track this guy down, so we're going to sit on his apartment. You don't have to come. I just thought it would be better than sitting alone in the house all day. But then again, hanging out in a car for however many hours isn't all that fun either—"

He cut me off with a kiss. "Anywhere with you is better that here without you," he told me.

"We'll be in a more populated part of town. You okay with that?" I asked him.

"I'll have to get used to it eventually, right? Why not start now?"

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**So I liked this chapter XD Now there is good news and bad news. Bad news... there's only one more chapter after this one DX That makes me sad... But it had to end eventually... Good news... there might be a sequel. _Might_ be. I'm working on it now and it's coming along okay, but who knows if it'll actually turn into anything postable.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Awww... last chapter... *cries* Sorry I didn't post last night. I was at a friends house until just a little while ago. Well, here you go! Kinda short, but I like it. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 9

"This is so boring!" I complained, dropping my head onto the steering wheel. "I forgot how much I hate stake outs…"

"What are we even waiting for?" Heero asked me.

"For our perp to come home. And I don't even think this guy is our guy, yet we're wasting our time by sitting here waiting for him," I grumbled. "Well, it beats pushing files around on my desk. At least I have company."

Heero nodded, leaning his head back against the headrest.

We had been sitting down the parking lot from this guy's apartment for just over five hours and had seen absolutely nothing. I was bored out of my mind. I had already counted all five hundred and forty eight of Heero's feathers, cleaned the entire cab, and gone over hundreds of ways to convince people that Heero was alive. Now, there was absolutely nothing left to do. Well… there was one thing.

I crawled across the bench, straddled Heero, then fused my lips to his. He acted surprised at first, but then wrapped his arms around me, returning my kiss. But after only a few seconds, Heero stiffened, then pulled away from me to look out the window behind me.

"Is that our guy?" he asked.

"After five hours he had to show up _now?_" I complained, turning to look at the guy Heero had seen.

This lanky kid about my age was hurrying towards the apartment we were sitting on, looking around nervously. He was definitely hiding something, or running from someone. Either way, he needed to be questioned.

"Shit," I cursed, climbing off Heero, grabbing my gun, shoving it in my belt, then jumping out of the cab.

The kid got to the door and fumbled around for his keys. I hurried to catch up to him before he got into the apartment.

"Hey kid!" I called to him and he turned.

"Are you a cop?" he asked me as I approached him, sounding as nervous as he looked.

"Preventer agent," I told him, showing him my badge. "I just have a few qu—"

Before I could finish my sentence, the kid slugged me on the left side of my face and I stumbled back. I didn't even have a chance to pull my gun on him before his was already out and aimed at me. I held my hands up and stared down the shaking barrel. Before either he or I could say anything, a hand clamped over the kids mouth and a knife pressed up against his throat.

"Drop the gun," Heero hissed in his ear.

The kid's eyes widened to the size of baseballs and he dropped the gun. I picked it up, popped out the clip, then shoved it in my belt.

"Thanks babe," I told Heero, grabbing the kids hands and pulling them behind his back so I could cuff him.

Heero made sure he stayed out of the kid's line of sight, pulling his trench coat tight around himself.

"You, little shit, are under arrest for assaulting one of Preventers finest, finest," I growled at him, then continued to read him his rights.

"I want that guys badge number," the kid demanded, his voice shaky and high pitched.

"He's not a cop, dumbass. I suggest you shut up," I threatened. Then I pulled out my radio and called for backup.

Heero, still staying out of the kid's sight, walked up to me to look at my face. It felt like I already had a nasty bruise on my cheek bone just under my eye.

"Are you okay?" he asked me, his voice quiet.

"I'm fine. He hit's like a girl," I sneered at the kid.

"Fags," the kid mumbled under his breath.

I spun him around and punched him in the face, before turning him back away from Heero.

"That felt good," I grumbled.

"Yeah, I'm sure it did, but what are you going to tell the other agents and his lawyer when they ask?" Heero pointed out.

"He resisted arrest, punched me, then I punched him back to subdue him. Simple as that," I smiled. "Technically, that is what happened, I just cut out a few details."

I heard the sirens off in the distance and knew they were coming here. I turned to suggest to Heero that he go hide in the truck, but he was already hurrying to the cab. Once he was in the truck, I walked with the perp to where the single cop car pulled into the parking lot.

"What happened?" Trowa asked as he stepped out of the car.

"You aren't going to puke on me, are you?" I cringed and stepped back, just messing with him.

He shook his head, completely serious, then looked at me like he was still expecting an answer.

"I approached the shit and identified myself. Before I could tell him we just wanted him for questioning," I hinted at the kid, "he slugged me. I hit him back, then arrested his ass. You can question him back at headquarters. I'm going home."

"You come too," Trowa insisted as I shoved the kid into the back of the cop car.

"Fine. I need to take a stop at home on the way up there, though," I told him.

He nodded, either not wanting an explanation or not caring. Knowing him, it was the latter of the two. He climbed back into the car and I headed over to the truck as he pulled away.

"I want to join Preventers," Heero stated suddenly as I started to pull away.

"Really?" I asked him.

"Yes," he stated, his mind made up.

"That's great, but any particular reason why?"

"I don't like the idea of you getting into these kinds of situations without me there to watch your back," he answered.

"You want to do it just to protect me?" I clarified with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, but that's not the only reason. I miss that… that adrenaline rush that I get going into tough situations. I miss the action. I don't want to spend the rest of my life locked away from society in your house, wondering whether or not you'll be coming home."

"Okay," I answered. "But we have a problem…"

"These?" he asked, pulling at a wing.

"Okay two problems. One, your wings, and two… convincing everyone that you're alive."

"Oh, right…" he frowned. "We'll figure it out eventually. I'm not going to be doing anything until I get these removed, so I guess we have until then to think of something."

"And we don't have to rush this either," I told him, not wanting him to rush off to the first surgeon he came across.

He nodded and took my hand, turning his gaze out the window. I was happy that I would get him back as my partner, but I wasn't going to tell him that I was afraid. I was scared shitless about putting him back in the situation that took him from me in the first place. But, if this was what he really wanted to do, I wasn't going to stop him. I had to say though… I'd really miss those beautiful wings, as white as snow.

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**I'm sad it's over, but the sequel is coming along pretty well. Hopefully I'll get that finished and posted soon. Thanks for reading! And special thanks to all of you that reviewed XD Until next time :)**

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**UPDATE: I have added a chapter to **Tenshi x Shinigami** titled **Manipulated** and it explains how Heero came back to life and where he got his wings. Yes, I did come up with an idea on how that happened after all these years :) So feel free to read it if you are so inclined :)**


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